Vessels and other underwater/semi-underwater structures are constantly exposed to a variety of environmental factors, salt water in particular. As a result, these types of structures require regular maintenance such as inspections, cleaning, and repairs. Adequate maintenance of such structures is difficult to implement because the majority of said structures are partially or fully submerged underwater. Additionally, when performed by hand, the costs and time required for maintenance increase drastically. One of the main solutions for this problem is the use of robotic vehicles capable of adhering to a ferrous surface. Traditional designs for these types of robotic vehicles include the use of strong magnets in order to adhere the body of the robotic vehicle to a ferrous surface. Currently, there are two main means for mounted magnets within a robotic vehicle. The first method includes mounting magnets on the belly of the robotic vehicle. While this is effective, the design requires the bottom surface of the robotic vehicle to run close to the steel surface. This causes hang ups in areas where the surface is not smooth. The second method includes mounting magnets along the entire wheel or track set. This method is rather expensive, heavy, and hard to clean.
The present invention is an alternative solution for adhering a robotic vehicle to a ferrous surface. The present invention mounts a relatively large magnet into each of the wheels, adjacent to a bottom portion of the wheel. The magnet is held in this orientation while the wheel moves around the magnet, thus protecting the magnet from the external environment. Positioning a single large magnet within each wheel improves maneuverability and decreases maintenance costs and weight for the robotic vehicle.